After five years of deep house vibes at venues including Mint Lounge, Spektrum, The Attic and Sound Control, Development’s organisers Andy Proctor, Tom Lynch, Mike O’Mara and Chris Feinmann have decided to call it a day for their club night.

Development is one of Manchester’s most well-known soulful and deep house parties of recent times. Best known for bringing some of the genre’s biggest and respected names such as Kenny ‘Dope’ Gonzalez and Glenn Underground to town, it’s finishing after a Easter 2011 finale.

It’s the second time they’ve announced this; check out the 2008 article I wrote in Metro here. I have a feeling it’s actually for real this time round.

Development’s given me an education and insight to a genre that I wouldn’t have grown to love as much if the night didn’t exist. I love its open-minded music policy. Sets from techno don Theo Parrish, leftfield Radio One DJ Benji B and deep-house duo Ame have expanded my knowledge. I also remember friends giving me a running commentary on house history while dancing at the back-of-the-middle-of-the-dancefloor in Mint Lounge every month. I now know the difference between US Garage and vocal house, tech house and techno and real disco and family party disco. Basically I’ve learnt how to chin stroke with all the house heads because of Development. I’ll still dance to Sister Sledge with my aunties at family dos though.

Enough of my emotional outburst. There’s some good news out of all of this. Glasgow’s Sub Club residents Hari and Dom were due to play at last weekend’s fifth birthday but because of problems with Sound Control’s late night licence, they couldn’t. That’s not great, but this part is. Harri and Dom will play the newly-added penultimate Development to make up for their unfortunate absence on Saturday. The location and date is yet to be announced but expect a post once it is.

Moving on from Development, new night Tempo is setting up camp in the capital and town in the new year. Run by Manchester-based DJ Dave Law and London spinner DeanJay, Tempo will join Community, my other favourite house night, on the Manchester scene.

DeanJay (whose mixes I listen to regularly) and Dave have booked some exciting UK DJs and producers. It’s not confirmed, but names like Sy Sez, Grant Nelson and Neil Pierce from The Fanatix are being banded about on the Tempo Facebook page. Plus, exclusive mixes from the aforementioned DJs and others will be released for members of the Facebook group.

Tempo is set to start in Manchester in January 2011, and the London party will be in February. Monthly gatherings will then follow.

While another chapter closes for Manchester clubbing, it’s time to get excited for another one.